Roman Ducksworth Jr.
| |
|---|---|
| Born | 1934 (1934) |
| Died | April 9, 1962(1962-04-09) (aged 27–28)
Taylorsville, Mississippi
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| Occupation | Military Police Officer |
| Spouse | Melva Ducksworth |
Roman Ducksworth Jr. (1934 – April 9, 1962) was a notable figure in American civil rights history, whose story reflects the struggle for racial equality during the violent era of the 1960s. He was shot and killed as a hate crime by Taylorsville, Mississippi police as he was heading to the hospital expecting his sixth child.[1][2] His death is one of the many cases that exemplify the systemic racial violence and injustice prevalent in the United States, particularly in the South, during this period.
Roman Ducksworth Jr. was a military police officer stationed in Maryland, a few months short of finishing ten years service in the army.[1] He was granted emergency leave by the Army after learning that his wife was having difficulties with the birth of their youngest daughter.[3]
During his time in service he would send gifts home to his children.[4] Ducksworth had a wife and six children, one of which was born right after his death.[1]
On April 9, 1962 Ducksworth was traveling to a hospital to visit his sick wife and newborn child. He was sleeping on the bus when a police officer escorted him off due to his race and mistaking him as a freedom rider. A small tussle broke out, the officer drew his gun, and fired into Ducksworth's chest. Ducksworth's sister-in-law and her son, Odell Ducksworth, were present as he was pronounced dead on the scene.[1][2][5][4]
Initial court proceedings attempted to label Roman as drunk, and the murder as self-defense. The murder was ruled a 'justifiable homicide', and no further justice has been taken upon the case ever since.[1] As a result of the killing, Odell Ducksworth would lose his job at a laundromat a few days later. Following that a cross was seen burning across his street and Odell's family was forced to relocate.[4]
Upon his death Ducksworth received full military honors and a 16-gun salute.[1] Roughly two thousand towns members attended his funeral.[4] In 1989, the Southern Poverty Law Center has commemorated Roman Ducksworth as a civil rights martyr on a memorial designed by Maya Lin.[4]
The case was reviewed again by the FBI as a part of the Department of Justice's Cold Case initiative. In the FBI's investigation, a witness (identity redacted) reported their understanding that the involved officer boarded the bus and assaulted the victim with a blackjack, resulting in the loss of some of the victim's teeth. The situation escalated when the victim attempted to defend himself, leading to the officer shooting him. The witness also noted that TPD Officer Bernice Jones was there during the incident. Also, the witness mentioned that another African-American passenger on the bus provided a statement to civil rights activist Medgar Evers. However, after receiving life-threatening messages targeting them and their family, this individual had to relocate to Florida for safety reasons.[2]
